114 THE COACHING AGE. 



When the conveyance of the mail-bags was trans- 

 ferred to the railways, the guards accompanying 

 them were paid entirely by the Post Ofl&ce ; they 

 had not the means of collecting fees from the 

 passengers. But in other cases, where the mails 

 were on the road, some of the guards were partly 

 paid by the Post Office, and others wholly; so 

 then they were prohibited from taking fees of the 

 passengers. 



The guards who were in the latter position received 

 various sums as wages weekly, not exceeding in any 

 instance one pound nine shillings and tenpence ; and 

 the total amount paid to them annually in this way 

 was ten thousand eight hundred pounds. 



They were appointed by the Postmaster- General. 



As to the fees usually paid to the mail-guards 

 between London and Manchester, Chaplin said : 

 ' Some give perhaps half-a-crown ; they cannot give 

 less, or if they do the guard looks at them very 

 hard. The guard expects half-a-crown when he gets 

 to Leicester, and the same sum at Manchester. This 

 very much increases the expense, and we have not 

 the same sort of gentlemen to go with us who 

 used to go before the accommodation of the day- 

 coaches. The mails are very slackly supported, ex- 

 cepting in these populous districts ; and if, therefore, 

 we could render them more popular, we could work 



